


Elle Est Tombée

by motor_mouse



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, F/F, Fluff, The title should mean 'She Fell' in French, these two nerds fall in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-05 23:14:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12199338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/motor_mouse/pseuds/motor_mouse
Summary: In which Delphine owns a bakery and Cosima is living out of her car.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Orphan Black OR any knowledge of the French language, it would seem. 
> 
> I DO own any mistakes.

**Part 1: In Which Delphine Is Easily Charmed By A Cute Smile**

Delphine arrives at her small bakery at five in the morning to start baking all the desserts she had prepped the night before. The bakery doesn’t open until eight, which is when Alison comes in, and Delphine has found that she enjoys the few hours she has to herself- especially because she truly does enjoy baking.

She connects her phone to the Bluetooth speaker sitting on the dividing wall between the front counter and her baking counter, choosing something soft and classical to listen to this morning. In the pre-dawn hours, she tends to let her mind wander, thoughts of home and family usually taking the forefront. Occasionally she thinks of her grand-mère, who passed away two years prior. Delphine would have never found such a love for baking if it was not for her. She is forever thankful to the woman for everything she taught her.

Lately, though, Delphine’s mind keeps reminding her how painfully lonely she is. It’s been nearly a year since she and Robert broke up, and though the details of him are slowly fading from her memory she still misses actually having someone to come home to at the end of the day. Someone she could talk nonsense with. Someone she was comfortable not talking with at all. They could just _be_ together. Her soul sort of longs for that again, though preferably with someone who won’t leave her heartbroken for someone else. _If only she had seen that coming_.

She tries not to dwell on it too much.

… … … … …

Delphine has just stopped the oven timer and is pulling out a batch of raspberry pinwheels, when she hears the bell above the front door jingle, followed closely by a far too chipper voice.

“Today is the day!” Alison chirps, rounding the corner leading into the kitchen.

Delphine feels like she is missing something, forgetting Alison’s anniversary perhaps? While Alison takes off her gloves and coat, Delphine glances at the Broadway themed wall calendar the other woman hung up at the beginning of the year.

Delphine feels her shoulders slump when they catch the small feather duster sticker that is on today’s date. It’s the last Friday of October, which means-

“Deep cleaning day!” Alison continues excitedly, like cleaning the shop from top to bottom is truly some sort of gift they should be ecstatic about.

She feels sleepy grumbles and complaints build up inside of her but she bites her tongue, reminding herself that she must do this whether she wants to or not. Alison bailed her out last year by becoming her business partner, which she didn’t have to do. Delphine would have lost the bakery she worked so hard for if she continued trying to run it by herself after Robert left.

So, even though Delphine arrives so early and is therefore dead on her feet by the time the bakery closes so they can start their bimonthly deep-cleaning, she keeps her comments to herself. Truly it does need to be done to keep the bakery up to code, it’s just difficult to do the cleaning after being there almost all day. It’s made easier by Alison’s husband Donnie, though, who offered to help them out in exchange for leftover snickerdoodles.

Sometimes, when Alison is not paying attention, Delphine and Donnie make jokes about her extensive, color-coordinated, cleaning list, which also helps to make the cleaning an easier part of the evening. Their part-time server, Krystal, joins them on occasion, though she doesn’t clean so much as vent her life too them. Delphine is pretty sure they are the closest thing the girl has to friends ever since she and her _on-again_ _off-again_ boyfriend, Hector, finally decided to call a permanent _off-again_.

Tonight, though, Krystal had a date with someone new, which means she won’t be here to keep them all entertained by strange conspiracy theories and tales of ex-boyfriends.

“Have you gotten the till ready yet?” Alison asks after she stores her stuff on the small desk they have placed in the far corner.

“No, I apologize, I have been lost in thought this morning.”

Delphine starts the last batch of cookies for the morning while Alison gets the front of the store ready to open.

… … … … …

They set into their usual routines- Alison working with customers while Delphine keeps the cases stocked with fresh baked pastries.

At nine she takes her break, first stepping out for a cigarette- she really should quit- before grabbing a lemon scone and sitting at one of their corner tables by the window.

Her break is nearly over when the bell draws her attention and she looks up, watching the new customer come in.

The girl who walks into the bakery is short- shorter than Delphine anyway- and she has dark hair in dreadlocks piled on top of her head. She glances around the bakery before her eyes meet Delphine’s and she stops momentarily. The blonde feels her breath catch, there is something about this girl that makes her whole-body fill with warmth.

But then the bell jingles once more and someone mumbles, “Excuse me,” from behind her, causing her to look away from Delphine.

She watches as the girl seems to mentally shake herself off before heading towards the restroom. It takes the large door closing and effectively obstructing her view for Delphine to realize she had been unabashedly staring at the brunette. She feels a blush burn hot across her cheeks and tries to will it away, collecting her trash and heading back to the kitchen to start on her dishes from the morning. She tries not to think about the girl she had been staring at like a fool, but she is unsuccessful.

… … … … …

Closing time isn’t until five in the evening but Delphine usually heads home around three, needing the break, before she goes back to help deep-clean.

Alison seems to have endless stores of energy that Delphine can only wish she had. She has to drink excess amounts of coffee just to stay on her feet on deep cleaning day.

One of the many perks of their business’s location is that it is walking distance from Delphine’s apartment. She usually walks to work until December when it starts to be too dark and too cold so early in the morning.

As she leaves the bakery Alison reminds her to be back by five and Delphine promises, not for the first time, that she remembers and she will be there.

Delphine is so tired that she doesn’t notice the girl from earlier sitting on the hood of a silver car with a pen cap between her lips, scribbling on the newspaper laid out before her.

If she hadn’t been exhausted she would have seen the girl look up and pause, almost saying something to Delphine before shaking her head to herself and going back to the newspaper.

But she _is_ tired- so she doesn’t notice.

… … … … …

Five o’clock comes way too early and Delphine, having already changed into comfortable clothing, decides against changing back. Light sweats and a sweater are probably better for deep-cleaning anyway. She tugs her coat on and, at last minute, wraps a scarf around her neck. The autumn chill has been biting lately.

The walk back to the bakery is uneventful, she spends most of her time delighting in the crunch of the leaves beneath her feet, but when she rounds the corner to the bakery she pauses, noticing the silver car that most certainly does not belong to Alison.

Confused, she crosses the street and wonders if perhaps it’s been abandoned or if it belongs to an employee of one of the neighboring businesses? She doesn’t have long to wonder before one of the back doors bursts open and the brunette from earlier practically tumbles out.

Delphine stops, like a deer caught in the headlights, and watches as she stretches her arms above her head, her back audibly popping. The girl then turns and her eyes go wide when she spots Delphine.

“Oh… uh… hi.” She gives a little half-wave. “I guess it’s safe to say I wasn’t expecting company.” It’s said like a joke though Delphine can hear the awkwardness behind it and the nervous expression on her face gives her away.

Despite the awkwardness, Delphine finds herself smiling.  

She’s about to say something to the other woman when a red van pulls into the lot and Alison’s husband climbs out. He spots them and head’s in their direction.

“Hey, everything okay over here?” He asks.

“Yes, everything is fine.” Delphine responds and she feels the brunette’s eyes flicker back and forth between Donnie and herself, probably wondering if she should say something to him. “I’ll be in momentarily.” Delphine insists, and Donnie seems to accept that, wandering back in the direction of the bakery.

He’s kind of a lovable oaf, and he means well in almost all that he does, even if it doesn’t always turn out how he intended. Delphine turns back to the woman in front of her and is about to say something when she’s cut off.

“You’re French?” She asks, though it’s more like a statement and she says it with a smile that makes Delphine feel warm again.

“Oui,” She says, accentuating her accent “I’m Delphine.” She’s really hoping the girl responds with her own name, curiosity weighing on her.

“I’m Cosima.” She responds, gently pushing her glasses up, before reaching out to shake Delphine’s hand.

“Enchanté.” She says softly as she takes the offered hand.

“Enchanté.” Cosima responds, stumbling over the word in an _almost_ charming way. “So, do you work here?” She gestures toward the building.

“I own it, actually.” She says with a touch of pride and the brunette’s eyes widen. “I should actually get going, my business partner is expecting me.” A look that Delphine thinks might be disappointment flashes across her face and she wishes that she didn’t have to leave this girl. She want’s nothing more than to continue talking, but Alison will surely have a fit if she doesn’t go in soon.

“Oh, can I actually ask you for a favor?” Cosima asks and Delphine raises her eyebrow in question.

“I suppose?”

“Do you mind if I use your restroom?”

Delphine thinks, “ _again?”_ She thinks, “ _why have you been in my parking lot for hours?”_ But what she says is the polite, less intrusive thing, “Yes, of course.”

She moves to walk towards the building but Cosima doesn’t immediately follow, instead turning to open the trunk of her car and search through what appears to be a very large heap of her belongings. Delphine tampers down the curiosity that bubbles up within her again, the quiet voice in the back of her mind begging to know everything about this curious woman.

Cosima grips a small backpack and pulls it over her shoulder before turning and flashing Delphine and sheepish smile.

“Thank you, I _really_ appreciate it.”

Delphine nods, “It is not a problem.” Something occurs to her as they reach the door and she turns back to Cosima, “If my partner says anything once we go in, I apologize. She does not have a…” Delphine trails off, searching for the phrase, her hands waving in front of her as if it will help her find what she’s trying to say.

“Have a filter?” Cosima supplies and Delphine snaps her fingers in success.

“Oui, she forgets to use her filter.”

“I kind of learned that earlier, actually, when she lectured me for coming in but not buying anything.”

On one hand, Delphine feels like apologizing for Alison’s mistreatment of her, but on the other hand it _is_ their policy to only let customers use the restroom.

“Technically that is our policy, though I apologize if she made you feel unwelcome. It is supposed to be more of a suggestion than a set rule.”

Cosima nods before reaching out to open the door for Delphine.

“After you.”

“Merci.”

As soon as they step foot inside the building Alison is in front of them.

“You again?” She questions accusingly. Cosima is about to respond but Delphine jumps in before her.

“I told her that she could use our restroom.” Delphine says it in a clipped tone that leaves Alison almost floundering.  

“Right,” Alison responds tightly, “Of course she can.”

Cosima looks between the two of them, worrying the corner of her lip between her teeth, before deciding not to say anything at all and instead she awkwardly heads to the bathroom.

As soon as the door clicks shut Alison is speaking in an attempted hushed tone.

“What _are_ you doing?” She demands.

“What do you mean what am I doing? I’m letting someone use our perfectly functional restroom.”

“You do realize that she is probably sleeping inside that car, right? She’s probably some junkie drug addict!”

Of course Delphine realizes that the girl is staying in her car, she isn’t stupid, but something in her doubts the girl is a “junkie.”

She’s not sure what it is but there is something about Cosima that has brought out Delphine’s protective nature and she’s not about to let Alison kick her while she’s down.

“It is none of my business- or _yours_.” Delphine insists.

“Actually,” Alison’s voice raises slightly and Delphine eyes the bathroom door in the hopes that Cosima cannot hear their conversation. “It is _my_ business- and _yours_ \- if she intends to sleep in front of _our_ bakery. It doesn’t look good for business, you know.” Her tone is dripping with a condescension that set’s Delphine’s teeth on edge, but she grows even more frustrated with the fact that Alison is sort of _right,_ if not a little tactless.

If this were any other person Delphine would probably be on Alison’s side of the argument, though she likes to think that she’d be less abrasive about it, and she can’t seem to figure out why she’s refusing to entertain that idea with Cosima.

Cosima, who Delphine has known for less than an hour, is giving her pause.

“She needs to be told to move somewhere else. She can’t stay here.” Alison finishes and Delphine tries to come up with some other solution, but the bathroom door opens before she has the chance.

Cosima comes out in an oversized Berkeley sweatshirt and some loose lounge pants. The oversized clothes make her appear even smaller than she was before.  

“Thank you again for letting me use that! I wasn’t looking forward to trying to change in Iggy.” The tension is momentarily broken by the girl who inadvertently caused it, both Alison and Delphine looking at Cosima in confusion.

“In Iggy?” She questions, and a blush raises to Cosima’s cheeks.

“Uh, yeah, it’s short for Igneous. My car has helped me through a lot over the years. She’s kind of… my rock.” Cosima finishes lamely, embarrassed, and she doesn’t quite meet Delphine’s eyes.

Delphine feels laughter bubble up inside of her and she tries to stifle it, but when she hears Donnie chuckle from somewhere behind the counter she can’t control it and the sound escapes her.

Alison just rolls her eyes.

“It’s silly… I know.” Cosima mumbles with a shrug.

“Non, I think it is very clever.” Delphine assures, but Cosima gives her a look that says, _really._ “Okay, so it is a little silly. But I also think it’s cute.”

Alison clears her throat beside them and gives Delphine a pointed look. “Well, we have work we need to get done so…”

“Oh, yeah, I should probably go then. I’ll just…. leave you to it.” Cosima steps towards the door and Alison practically shoves Delphine at her with a whispered, _“Tell her she has to go or I will.”_ Delphine grows irritated with her but listens none the less, and trails behind Cosima.

“About… Igneous,” Delphine starts, saddened by the visible change that comes over Cosima, her eyes suddenly tense. “We can’t have it here overnight.” She feels immense guilt weigh on her chest made ten times worse by the way all the fight in the girl seems to rush right out of her. She looks so tired.

“I can’t move her,” Cosima whispers, tugging at her fingers and refusing to meet Delphine’s eyes. “She won’t start and I-I can’t figure out why and I don’t-“ Shame crosses Cosima’s features and she squeezes her eyes closed. “I don’t have enough money to fix her.”

Delphine’s heart squeezes at the shorter girl’s words. Right now she looks so small, as if the world has chewed her up and spat her back out.

“Okay.” Delphine states firmly. “You can stay.” Relief flushes over her and Delphine wants to say more, to ask more, but she doesn’t want to press the girl for information that clearly causes her some distress.

“Thank you.” Cosima says it with sincerity but she still won’t meet Delphine’s eyes.

“No need to thank me. If you need anything, let me know.” Cosima takes a deep breath, trying to cool the storm of emotions swirling within her, before nodding and leaving the bakery.

Delphine is left feeling like she should have done more for her, said something else.

… … ... … …

Alison stews in near silence while they clean the bakery and Delphine tries to figure out how to explain why she so quickly betrayed what the other woman wanted. At the end of the day, she doesn’t have to explain herself to her business partner, which is probably for the best considering that she’s still not entirely sure why _she_ let Cosima stay.

They finish closer to eight than they normally do and Alison is out the door in a flash, not saying anything to Delphine. Donnie offers a ride home, which she declines, before patting her on the shoulder and following after his wife.

Delphine finishes a few more things for the next morning before she prepares to leave. She pauses at the door, though, and decides to grab one of the few mix boxes of treats left over from that day, to give to Cosima. As she nears the silver car still in her lot she realizes that Cosima is already asleep, her small frame curled at an odd angle on the backseat. Delphine gently settles the box onto the roof of the car, not wanting to wake her, and heads home.

Worry sits heavy in her gut at the thought of the girl being alone in her car all night. She doesn’t sleep well, her mind racing with thoughts of Cosima ranging from ‘ _Is she okay?’_ To ‘ _What lead her to this moment in her life?’_ but her thoughts mostly stick on, _‘Why do I care so much?’_

 


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which Delphine Wants to Help and Cosima Has An Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Orphan Black. I do own all the overused comma's and any mistakes, though. 
> 
> Thank you to those of you who read and left comments of kudos, it really means a lot to me.

**Part 2: In Which Delphine Wants To Help And Cosima Has An Interview**

On Saturday mornings Delphine doesn’t go in to the bakery until six and she usually enjoys the extra hour to sleep in. Today, however, she finds herself awake early, watching the numbers change on her alarm clock at an agonizingly slow pace.

She finally gives up trying to sleep, after a night of tossing and turning, instead choosing to turn on soft music and flip through one of her frequently favorited cook books. Unfortunately, it cannot hold her attention for long and her mind wanders away, suspiciously in the direction of her bakery where an old silver car stayed overnight.

She’s thumbing through an old magazine, mostly just looking at the pictures, when her alarm finally goes off and she tosses it back on her bedside table. She stretches, sliding her feet into her slippers and trying to force her body to move at a normal pace when all it wants to do is rush. _Or maybe it’s her mind that wants to rush?_ No matter, she makes sure to go about her morning as she usually would.

She takes a quick shower and wanders around her room with her hair up in a towel, trying to decide what she wants to wear today. Usually she goes casual on the weekend but she’s leaning more towards looking professional and nice today. Again, she tries not to dwell on the reason why, no matter how loud the voice in the back of her mind starts to sound.

Dressed in a pair of tight-fit jeans and a comfortable sweater, she grabs her purse and keys, heading out the door.

… … … … …

The sun has yet to make its appearance this morning, a barely-there sliver of light just peeking through, and Delphine pulls her coat more tightly around herself. Soon it’ll be too cold to want to walk in the morning.

When she nears the bakery, she feels herself deflate slightly, the box on Cosima’s car is still exactly where she left it and the girl is still sound asleep inside. Delphine doesn’t linger around the car, not wanting the girl to wake up suddenly and assume she was some sort of creep.

Once in the bakery she flicks on the low light in the back and starts her morning routine. She chooses her “Good Vibes,” playlist and smiles as the music slowly fills the small space.

Delphine has been baking for nearly an hour when she hears a light tapping come from the front of the shop. She leans around the counter, peeking outside, and smiles when she sees that it’s her new parking lot tenant standing there.

Cosima gives her that “half-wave,” and Delphine smiles warmly at her, moving to unlock the door.

“Good morning!” Cosima greets with a smile, her voice still a little hoarse from sleep, though it adds a pleasing timbre to it, in Delphine’s opinion.

“Bonjour Cosima!” Delphine responds warmly and she delights in the way Cosima seems to respond to either the French greeting or perhaps the blonde’s accent around her name.

“I hope you don’t mind if I borrow your restroom again?” Cosima looks sheepish and Delphine nods.

“Of course not, be my guest.” Cosima thanks her and disappears into the bathroom.

Delphine moves back to the kitchen, continuing prep, and hopes Cosima will just come find her when she is finished.

A few minutes later Cosima cautiously approaches the counter and Delphine waves her back to the kitchen area.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be back here?” Cosima asks, leaning her hip against the counter that Delphine is working at.

“Yes, of course.” She gives Cosima her best reassuring smile, noticing that she still seems nervous.

“Thank you for breakfast, by the way.” Cosima says after a couple minutes of watching Delphine’s hands work. “It was delicious.” Delphine feels her cheeks grow warm, her pride showing itself at the compliment.

“I’m glad that you enjoyed it!”

“That lemon scone was the best thing, I think. I loved it. Do you make everything from scratch?”

“Oui, I enjoy fresh baked goods. Frozen is just,” She scrunches her face up in thought and Cosima smiles while she watches her.

“Cheap?” She supplies.

“Yes, cheap. It doesn’t taste very good.”

“That must be a lot of work for you, though- doing it all from scratch?”

“It can be, sometimes. I prepare most of my food the evening before I bake it, and being the owner has its perks. I can change the menu to fit however I feel that day. On days that I don’t feel like doing as much, I make more cookies. Croissants take the longest so usually that is what I cut out if I’m feeling particularly lazy.”

“I don’t know how you do it, but I’m so glad that you do. From the few things I’ve tasted, you’re amazing.” Delphine bows her head slightly, suddenly feeling bashful at the compliments. She tries to get her blush under control while she works on the dessert in front of her.

So, how did you sleep?” Delphine asks after a bit and, though it disappeared quickly, she notices that Cosima frowned at the question.

“I’m not going to lie, I’ve had better sleep, but I slept better than I expected to. I’ve sort of… gotten used to it these past couple days.” Delphine feels curious, and before she can think better of it she starts to ask Cosima one of the questions that have been on her mind since she met the girl.

“How long have you been…” She trails off, but Cosima seems to understand where her question was going. The brunette looks away, eyes firmly staring at the wall and away from Delphine.

“About a week now.”

“I’m sorry, I do not mean to pry. You do not owe me any explanations.” Cosima’s hand is resting on the counter and Delphine covers it with her own, giving it a light squeeze. Cosima’s attention drops down to their joined hands and she swallows.

“You’re okay- no need to apologize. It’s just been a difficult month, really. I was working part time at this shitty hotel because they were letting me live there too. I got sick for a while and had to miss a bunch of work so they found some dumb reason to fire me and did it. I lost my job and my living situation in one fell swoop.”

“That is not right,” Delphine says, anger bubbling up, “That cannot be legal.”

“Yeah no, I definitely don’t think that it is. But I don’t have the money to fight them on it, so I couldn’t really argue.”

Delphine feels indignant for Cosima, but the brunette looks as if she has resigned herself to what happened. It’s still frustrating, though, knowing that there is someone out there who would do that.

“I’m currently looking for another job, though, so hopefully that pans out soon. I’d like to get a job that I enjoy at least a little bit more.” Delphine smiles at her, marveling at her ability to look on a positive note despite all the misfortune. 

“What is it that you would like to do?” Delphine asks, watching as Cosima tugs at her fingers, hesitant.

“Endgame? I’d like to be doing something with art.” That fits her, Delphine thinks. She can picture Cosima in front of an easel, paint flecks all over herself. “There are a couple different places I’m interested in,” Cosima continues, “But unfortunately they mostly don’t have any openings. So right now, I’m just looking for anything that would give me a paycheck, you know?”

At that, Delphine has an idea.

They fall into an easy silence while she weighs the pros and the cons in her head. Cosima is friendly, easy to get along with, which is a pro. She doesn’t know much about her, though, and she could have hidden troubles, which is a con.

She decides that the pros outweigh the cons and is just about the cons and is just about to ask Cosima what she thinks about taking a temporary position at the bakery when she hears the front bell and Alison quickly comes into view.

“Oh- hello.” Alison says in a clipped tone when she spots Cosima, and her eyes quickly find Delphine’s with a storm beginning to brew in them. But Delphine watches as Alison’s jaw works for a moment before she turns back to Cosima. “How are you this morning?”

Delphine is a little bit shocked, to be honest, but at least Alison is being polite, which is a step up from last night. She realizes it was probably a good thing that Alison showed up when she did, because she really should discuss any potential hires with her business partner before bringing it up to Cosima.

“I’m doing alright. Thanks again for letting me stay out there. I really appreciate it.” Cosima says warmly and the storm inside Alison seems to calm even further.

“Cosima,” Delphine starts and the brunette looks over at her through, nudging her cat-eye glasses up her nose. “Do you mind giving us a moment to discuss something?”

“Oh yeah, no problem. You guys are going to be open soon, right? I should probably get out of your hair.”

“Non, you do not have to leave. I just need to talk to Alison about something business-related. You are welcome to stay inside. The coffee should be brewing out front if you’d like to help yourself to a cup?” Cosima looks hesitant but she nods and skirts around the doorway to the kitchen, leaving them to talk.

Which has left Delphine with an Alison who, although briefly calmed by Cosima’s pleasantries, has become tense.

“Why was she back here?” Alison starts before Delphine can.

“That is actually what I wanted to speak to you about. I was thinking, perhaps, that we could hire Cosima.”

Delphine watches Alison’s body language seemingly shout _“No!”_ before her mouth even can, but to her surprise Alison doesn’t say anything, she instead pinches the bridge of her nose and takes three deep breaths.

“What would you have her do?” Alison finally asks. “She cannot work with the food up front, no one will want to buy it.”

Delphine clenches her jaw, trying to rein in her anger at Alison’s words. It’s always about appearances with Alison, which sometimes Delphine can agree with, but this is just her being highly critical for no reason.

“She could clean, either in the evenings or in the early mornings. She could do the dishes once I’m finished baking.” Delphine offers and Alison’s expression turns thoughtful.

After what feels like an agonizingly long stretch of time, Alison speaks up.

“I want to interview her- a proper sit-down interview, where she provides a resume and references.” Delphine sighs in relief, not taking for granted how differently that could have gone.

They approach Cosima, who is sitting by the window with a cup of coffee in her hands, and Alison clears her throat.

“Cosima, I have a proposition for you.” Delphine says, and Cosima’s eyebrows shoot up.

“O-kay?” She responds, drawing out the word.

“How would you feel about working here?” As soon as Delphine asks Cosima looks ready to protest, so she tacks on, “It would be temporary, just odd jobs around the bakery, cleaning and the like.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything yet.” Alison speaks up, “First off I would need to interview you.”

“I can’t ask this of you,” Cosima’s eyes are locked on Delphine’s, an emotion bubbling up behind them that she can’t quite place. “You’ve already done a lot for me.”

“Please, I insist. Think of it as nothing more than helping out a friend.” Delphine urges.

“…you barely know me.” Cosima responds with suspicion.

“Then this could be an opportunity for us to get to know each other better.”

The brunette’s eyes are searching, for insincerity or pity, Delphine isn’t sure.

“Okay,” Cosima finally says, her tone heavy, “When should I meet with Alison?”

Delphine feels herself smile in relief and a weight she didn’t realize she was carrying fell off her chest.

“This afternoon. We close early on Saturdays, so you can come by after that. Bring your resume.” Alison answers before twirling around and busying herself with her opening tasks.

Delphine follows soon after, hearing the faintest, _“thank you,”_ as she goes.

… … … … …

At three Cosima comes back into the shop, dressed in black pants and a patterned top, a few pieces of paper clutched in her hand.

She looks clean, cleaner than she had this morning, and Delphine absently wonders where someone who is living out of their car would go to shower.

“Bonjour Cosima.”

“Hey Delphine, long time no see.” Cosima jokes and Delphine enjoys the way her eyes light up.

“Yes, truly it has been too long.” She responds with sarcasm and Cosima laughs quietly. It’s a lovely sound.

“Alright, are you ready?” Alison asks, coming out of the kitchen with a clip board at her side.

Cosima seems to stand up a little straighter and she follows Alison over to one of their small tables.

Delphine wants to stick around and listen to the interview but she knows that this is a moment that the two of them need to work out alone, so she goes back to the kitchen to busy herself with dishes.

Fifteen minutes pass before both brunettes enter the kitchen, neither of their expressions betraying any emotions, and Delphine doesn’t know how to react.

“So, how did it go?” She asks, eyes flickering between the two. Alison rolls her eyes and wanders away, causing Cosima to crack a grin.

“Looks like you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me.” Her smile is contagious and soon Delphine finds herself grinning, a comfortable warmth spreading across her chest.

“So, when do you start?”

“Alison actually said that you are going to oversee me because she,” Cosima raises her hands into finger quotes, “already has her hands full with Krystal. Who is that, by the way?”

“She is one of our servers. She only works part-time here. She’s nice… just a little eccentric. Lots of conspiracy theories about cosmetics companies.”

“Huh, okay then, well I look forward to meeting her I guess.”

“So, how would you like to start working on Monday morning? We are not open on Sunday’s so there won’t be anyone here most of tomorrow. I just come in the evening to do prep.” Delphine watches as a look of concern flashes briefly across Cosima’s features. “Is there something wrong?”

“No- nothing. Not a thing.” She responds nervously.

“Non, there is something. Did I say something?”

“No! It’s not you at all. It’s just… with this place being closed…” Cosima seems to fight with herself, trying to determine what to say, “I just have to find another bathroom is all. I don’t want you to worry about that though. There’s a 7/11 down the street that I can use.”

Despite Cosima telling her not to worry, Delphine is instantly trying to solve this problem for her.

“Hey,” Cosima nudges her, “It’s totally fine. I need the exercise anyway.” She tries to joke but it falls flat. Delphine feels guilty that the brunette feels like she needs to try and reassure her, but she has a kind heart and an apparent desire not to be an inconvenience in any way. 

“I will be here briefly tomorrow evening, around six, to prepare some foods for Monday. You are more than welcome to hang out,” She fumbles over the term, “in here- if you’d like.”

“Okay, cool.” Cosima responds.

The conversation ends at that, and they remain quietly in each other’s presence while Delphine goes back to her dishes. After a few minutes Cosima starts to hum and gently tap her fingers on her leg as if she were playing piano.

“What is that? It sounds familiar.” Delphine asks.

“I’m not sure, it’s been stuck in my head all day though. The only line I can even remember is, ‘Who wrote the book on goodbye?’” Cosima says with a shrug.

“Oh, I think I know it!” Delphine dries her hands and reaches into her apron pocket for her phone. She connects it to her speaker and clicks play on the song.

“Yeah, that’s it!”

They listen to the music without much talking, Cosima staying while Delphine finishes her dishes, and if she moves at a ridiculously slow pace while she works, the brunette doesn’t comment.

… … … … …

On Sunday Delphine finds it increasingly difficult to keep herself busy. She mindlessly flicks through television channels, takes a bath, vacuums her apartment, waters her few houseplants, and even goes so far as dusting before she decides none of that is working to let out the excess energy running through her.

She decides to try going for a run, hoping some exercise will bring her out of this charged funk that she’s having. She’s never been fond of running but it has, on occasion, helped her slow her mind down, calm her racing thoughts.

She tells herself that she doesn’t have a destination, even as she turns right and heads towards the bakery, willing the chill of the air away.

She smiles when she approaches the bakery and sees the short brunette laying on the hood of her car, one hand behind her head and the other clutching a phone to her ear. She slows to a stop and moves into Cosima’s line of sight as way of announcing herself silently. Cosima smiles brightly at her and Delphine feels her stomach flip at the look.

“I know Scott. Look, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I’m getting it figured out.” Cosima says into the phone as she sits up from her relaxed position. “Listen, I have to go okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Okay. Bye.” Cosima clicks the end on her phone and swings her legs around so that she can slide off her car.

“Hey… didn’t expect to see you so early.” Cosima greets, her expression still warm.

“Yes well, I decided to go for a jogging and then I saw you sitting here so…”

“Did you say ‘A jogging?’”

“Yes.”

“You did, okay, just checking.” Cosima’s cheeks tint pink and Delphine eye’s her, curious.

“What have you been up to today?” Delphine finally asks.

“Oh, you know, a little of this a little of that. Mostly just hanging out with Iggy. Just now I was talking to my buddy, Scott, from California. Did I tell you that’s where I’m originally from?” Cosima asks but continues without giving Delphine any moment to answer. “He offered up his couch for the thousandth time, but I’m just not ready to go back there yet.”

Delphine finds herself frowning at the idea of her newly found friend leaving for the other side of the country. The idea shouldn’t make her stomach drop unpleasantly, if it means Cosima could have a place to stay with someone she knows, but it does. She feels guilty- selfish.

“That’s good that you have him, though.”

“Yeah, Scott’s a good guy.” Cosima grows quiet momentarily. “So, what about you? Aside from running, what are you up to today?”   

“I have been fairly bored at home, actually.” She admits. “I cleaned my entire apartment and still felt restless, so I decided exercise was in order.” _To come see you._

“I should probably let you get back to it, then…” Cosima trails off and Delphine tries to think of any reason to stay, but she comes up short, and is soon back to jogging aimlessly.

… … … … …

Around five Delphine decides to make dinner, preparing enough for two, before heading in the direction of the bakery once more.

Cosima isn’t there when she arrives and she feels her mood fall. The thought of Cosima potentially not coming tugs at her and leaves her feeling dejected.

She starts preparing the food for tomorrow, trying to drown out Cosima’s absence with routine and loud music, loud enough that she almost doesn’t hear the knock at the front of the store. She peeks out from behind her counter and feels her sour mood fall away upon spotting Cosima.

“Hey, I’m sorry I’m late. Although I’m actually kind of always late so I’m kind of always sorry.” Cosima pulls off her jacket and lays it across a chair. “I got tied up at the library,” she explains further, “I was googling potential problems Iggy might be having. Oh also!” She reaches into her coat pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Alison said I might need my food handlers card to work here, so I went ahead and got that taken care of.”

Delphine finds Cosima’s fast-paced rambling endearing, and she takes the paper from her.

“I brought you something,” She says, grabbing the bag she left on the counter when she arrived. “I made too much food for dinner tonight, so I thought you might like some.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Cosima assures, but she takes the container none the less. “Thank you.”

“Like I said, I simply made more than I would be able to eat by myself.”

Neither of them believe that lie but Cosima seems to like the food so she considers it a win.

… … … … …

For the next hour and a half, Delphine preps in the kitchen alone, listening to her music at a much quieter volume. Occasionally, she glances out into the lobby at the brunette who is perched on one of the small chairs with her legs crossed under her, drawing something in a small sketchbook.

Delphine is interested to know what she is drawing but she does not ask. She thinks that if Cosima wants her to see it, she will show her.

She is just finishing up her prep when she hears Cosima cautiously approach, a piece of paper pinched between three fingers.

“I uh… I drew this,” Cosima starts, her cheeks tinted pink, “for you.” Delphine tries to ignore how her stomach flips at that. “It’s like, really rough, but I wanted to give you something to sort of repay you for everything you’re doing for me.”

The drawing is of a cute dog, a cocker spaniel, wearing a large toque that is sliding down mostly covering it’s eyes. Cosima wasn’t lying when she said that it was a rough drawing, but it is still very good.

“I know it’s not much but-“ Delphine cuts her off, taking her hand.

“Non, it’s perfect. I love it, thank you.”

Cosima blushes again, eyes dropping to their hands then back up to Delphine’s face. For a moment, they just stand their staring at each other, and Delphine notes that Cosima has really beautiful eyes.

“O-okay good.” Cosima stutters, looking away and rubbing at the back of her neck. “I’m glad that you like it.”

Shortly after that they say their goodnights and Delphine heads home with an empty tupperware container in one hand and the thoughtful drawing in the other.

Her heart rides high on a nervous excitement that brews within her at the thought of what tomorrow might bring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this far! I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope they weren't too out of character for me. These two are a challenge for me to write, i'm learning. Let me know what you thought?


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